Councils offered prizes to cut signs

The award is part of the Government’s drive to cut the number of signs in towns, cities and the countryside.

McLoughlin said: “Pointless signs blot our landscape, confuse motorists and are expensive to maintain.

“This new award is about recognising and showcasing the good work being done by local authorities across the country, and I urge councils who are taking action to tackle this problem to put themselves forward. I want these examples to inspire other councils to improve their streets and public spaces.”

Entries are open to local authorities in England who can demonstrate they have taken some of the following steps to make their local streets free of sign clutter. These include:

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  improving the environment by providing less clutter, particularly traffic signs;



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  demonstrating savings in sign maintenance costs;



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  conducting a sign audit to establish if signs need replacing; and



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  removing signs that are no longer of use.

In January, the Department provided new guidance to local authorities to continue the sign clutter cull as cost-effectively as possible.

The document called ‘Reducing Sign Clutter’ provided local authorities with case studies from London, Hampshire and Somerset to help inspire others to get involved along with hints and tips on how to get started in removing pointless signs.